Worcester Catholic radio to buy WESO station

WORCESTER — An agreement has been reached for the sale of a Southbridge radio station to Emmanuel Communication Inc., Worcester-based owner of the Catholic radio station 1230 AM.

Emmanuel Communications announced the deal to purchase 970 AM from Money Matters Radio, Inc. The Southbridge radio station is home to WESO-AM.

The sale, which must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, will expand Emmanuel Radio's reach to listeners in Southbridge, Sturbridge and most of southern Central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.

Among the towns covered by the Southbridge station are Charlton, Dudley, Leicester, Millbury, Oxford, Spencer and Sutton.

The change is expected to take place later this summer.

At that time, Emmanuel Radio will broadcast its signal on 970 AM, a 1,000-watt station reaching more than 60,000 prospective new listeners.

The new signal is in addition to Emmanuel Radio's 1230-AM signal, which broadcasts to the city of Worcester and adjacent towns.

Emmanuel Radio, an EWTN affiliate, is a Catholic news and information, non-commercial radio station broadcasting to 315,000 Catholic and non-Catholic listeners each week.

WESO talk radio format currently includes a mix of business and lifestyle talk show programming, including Imus in the Morning, Money Matters Mornings, The Financial Exchange and Michael Graham.

Contact Donna Boynton at Donna.Boynton@telegram.com or follow her on Twitter @DonnaBoyntonTG